What is KYC and how does it work?

Maciej Zieliński

13 Apr 2022
What is KYC and how does it work?

KYC, the “Know Your Customer” rule, is a common method of user verification in connection with the start of said users use of financial services. KYC is the norm in cryptocurrencies and financial law, as professionals are required to make every effort to verify the identity, relevance and risk of maintaining business relationships with the customer. These procedures are also a measure for AML analysis, which is taking action which aim to prevent money laundering. How does KYC work? In which countries must NFT projects implement the KYC procedure? What does it require of us? We're writing about this below.

How does KYC work?

KYC processes are also used by various economic operators to ensure that their customers, agents or consultants are checked before they are given access to any financial resources. The “Know Your Client” principle (KYC) is a mandatory requirement for entities which deal with securities, bank accounts, etc.

What is included in KYC

The purpose of the provisions set out by the KYC is to prevent criminals from using businesses for money laundering and commiting other financial crimes. By linking KYC and AML, many companies understand their customers better and have the opportunity to verify the capital and payments they receive. This helps them manage risk responsibly and professionally. In principle, institutions formulate their KYC policies on the basis of the following four key elements:

  • Customer Acceptance Policy
  • Customer Identification Procedures,
  • Monitoring of Transactions,
  • Risk Management.
AML

The financial law environment is quite rigorous and makes KYC a mandatory and key procedure for financial institutions and others, as KYC minimizes the risk of fraud by identifying suspicious information at the initial stage of account creation. The KYC policy defines a client as follows. A customer is:

  • the person or entity that holds the account or is in a business relationship with the reporting entity;
  • the person on whose behalf the account is held,
  • the beneficiary of transactions carried out by professional intermediaries, such as exchange brokers, auditors or legal advisers,
  • any person or entity associated with a financial transaction that may pose a significant reputational risk or other risk to a bank, i.e. a person performing a bank transfer or issuing a “trust” on a high-value request as a single transaction.

NFT and KYC

In NFT, KYC is an element that is dependent on a given country’s policies, but also on what type of NFT will be used. Each State decides on its own whether the creation of NFT requires implementation of KYC procedures. Below we present the most popular places in the world of cryptography, which we have systematized by legislation.

Dane, Bezpieczeństwo, Klawiatura, Komputer, Laptop

KYC and cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies are seen as decentralized and anonymous funds. However, these benefits are also a challenge in preventing money laundering, as criminals see cryptocurrencies as an ideal means of using illegal capital. As a result, many financial institutions are looking for ways to impose KYC on cryptocurrency markets, requiring cryptocurrency platforms to verify their clients. Currently, most of the entities have implemented or are implementing KYC into their services. Exchanges are classified in accounting terms as “crypto-to-crypto” or “fiat-to-crypto”. As crypto-crypto exchanges do not deal with traditional currency, they do not feel the same pressure to apply KYC standards as stock exchanges which store traditional currency of any sort. If stock exchanges have a traditional currency in their offer, they are more pressured by states to implement the KYC rule. Countries which show great interest in NFT have already regulated this area. The United Arab Emirates, Estonia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are places worth familiarizing yourself with if you want to start your NFT journey.

Dubai and NFT

At present, crypto assets in the United Arab Emirates have not been classified for their purpose, which could help to determine the law in this respect. Instead, the United Arab Emirates recognizes that it is necessary to specify how cryptocurrencies or NFT are actually used. For example, a crypto resource can be used as a token of use (in this case it will not be regulated as a financial product and it is probably not necessary to implement KYC), but with an awareness of its popularity it is considered to be traded for the purpose of making an investment. If, according to the country, the NFT is seen as a means of investment, it is an investment product, then it will be treated as a financial product, resulting in its regulation using the provisions regarding UAE securities (in this case, KYC needs to be implemented in the project). In Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, there is no single law which regulates NFT. Any use of NFT is analyzed in terms of its actual use. Although Abu Dhabi Global market (ADGM) as a free financial zone regulated the use of crypto assets as virtual assets, NFT does not fall within this definition. According to this law, “the virtual resource is not produced or guaranteed by any jurisdiction”. In summary, it should be pointed out that NFT is subject to KYC only if it is practically treated as an investment project. NFT is not subject to KYC if it is treated as a token of use only.

NFT and KYC in Estonia

Until 2020, it appeared that cryptocurrencies can enjoy freedom in Estonia in terms of legal regulation. This country has become the ideal place for businesses and business professionals who wanted to legally run a business based on blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. The license issued by Estonia also provides the possibility to provide services throughout the EU. Do you need to obtain a license to implement your NFT project in Estonia? As a general rule, not until 2020! This was due to the fact that licenses were mandatory for virtual currency service providers. The law in this case describes virtual currencies as payment-based instruments such as Ether (ETH), Bitcoin (BTC), USDT and others.
According to case-law, the NFT did not cover the definition of virtual currencies, since each NFT provides a unique, limited or documented resource that allows for the use of specific items such as digital art. NFT is treated more as a property right, rather than a means of payment. That was the case in the past, but the 2020 amendment on the legislation
regarding anti-money laundering put all entities connected with NFT, ICO and decentralized exchanges into one group. Since then, KYC is a mandatory component in the implementation of NFT projects.

Switzerland – NFT are not securities

The situation in Switzerland is similar to that in the United Arab Emirates. When NFT is used as a means of payment and can be transferred or reinvested, the regulatory authority is required to implement KYC and AML procedures. If the NFT does not belong to the securities category and serves only as a guarantee of the “right of access” to the service or digital arts, there is no mandatory obligation to implement KYC and AML procedures. However, if the NFT can in any way be used as an investment, it is subject to the definition of securities.

Great Britain – mandatory compliance with KYC standards

In the UK, the procedural requirements determining whether the creation of a NFT project requires the implementation of the KYC and AML regulations were created by the RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), the UK's defense and security think tank. The institution itself was created in 1831 and is intended to ensure the security and efficient operation of the country’s finances. According to RUSI, NFT products:

  • help guarantee an ownership record of any item by means of a digital element,
  • give creators the ability to obtain royalties from copyrights,
  • are mainly purchased using cryptocurrencies.


Unfortunately, RUSI points to the risks associated with NFT, which it defines as follows:

  • NFT is purchased using cryptocurrencies, which are often used to commit financial crimes or for money laundering.
  • There is a risk of hacking attacks on accounts of users who own NFT.
  • As such, RUSI identifies NFT as a product that requires both KYC and AML procedures to be implemented and followed.

Summary

With KYC, we gain the ability to collect and analyze a lot of customer information. This helps protect them from financial crime and facilitates the exchange of information between companies and users. In addition, KYC is an aid to AML, as at an early stage it can identify an entity that is likely to be criminogenic. As countries are increasingly concerned about the bureaucracy and regulation of each sector, KYC is an element that everyone will need to familiarize themselves with sooner or later. Let us remember that NFT may have different applications, from collectors' products to gaming, or property rights to invest. Depending on their use, as well as the geographical and legislative elements, different provisions will apply. At the same time, we stress that it is useful to consult a professional legal adviser to help you comply with applicable laws before any actions connected with KYC, AML, or NFT are taken. This article does not constitute legal advice.

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Master UI Component Creation with AI: The Ultimate Guide for Developers

Gracjan Prusik

24 Mar 2025
Master UI Component Creation with AI: The Ultimate Guide for Developers

Introduction

Modern frontend development is evolving rapidly, and creating UI components with AI tools is helping developers save time while enhancing interface quality. With AI, we can not only speed up the creation of UI components but also improve their quality, optimize styles, and ensure better accessibility.

This article explores how creating UI components with AI is transforming frontend development by saving time and improving workflows. Specifically, we will discuss:

  • Generating components from images,
  • AI for style analysis and optimization,
  • Automatic style conversion and code migration,
  • AI in generating UI animations.

Creating UI Components with AI from Images

One of the interesting applications of AI in frontend development is the ability to generate components from an image. AI can recognize the structure of the interface and generate HTML/CSS or JSX code that matches the provided image. One of the most popular tools for UI creation is Lovable.

For testing, let's see how the tool performs in creating a simple contact form from the page you are currently on, which is Nextrope.

Query:

"Recreate the image I've sent you in Next.js using CSS."

Sample image used in the query:

The result received:

Tworzenie komponentów UI - Wygenerowany widok

Lovable did an excellent job transforming the image into code. The view is fully responsive. It’s important to remember that the more precise the request, the better the AI will replicate the expected view. However, even with a simple command, the tool performed surprisingly well.

Of course, AI has its limitations. It still makes quite a few mistakes. The generated code still requires review and fixes from the developer, but in some cases, the entire process is significantly sped up—correcting the code often takes less time than creating the component from scratch.

Optimizing UI Components with AI Tools for Style Improvements

This problem of inaccurate code reproduction by AI can be partially addressed by using it to analyze and improve styles. Tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek and Claude are capable of not only generating code but also diagnosing CSS errors and suggesting why a particular style might not be working as expected.

Simple example: Why is the div not centered?

Query: "Why is this div not centered?"

AI analyzes the code and provides the following response:

Problem: The parent container does not have a defined width or display: flex.
Solution: Add the appropriate styles to the parent container.

.parent {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  width: 100vw;
  height: 100vh;
}

AI for Automatic Style Conversion and Code Migration in UI Components

AI can assist with style conversion between different technologies, such as transferring code from traditional CSS to Styled Components or Tailwind CSS.

Let's assume we have a style written in traditional CSS:

.button {
  background-color: blue;
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border-radius: 5px;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;
}

.button:hover {
  background-color: darkblue;
}

We can use AI for automatic conversion to Styled Components:

import styled from "styled-components";

const Button = styled.button`
  background-color: blue;
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border-radius: 5px;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;

  &:hover {
    background-color: darkblue;
  }
`;

export default Button;

AI can also assist in migrating code between frameworks, such as from React to Vue or from CSS to Tailwind.

This makes style migration easier and faster.

How AI Enhances UI Animation Creation

Animations are crucial for enhancing user experience in interfaces, but they are not always provided in the project specification. In such cases, developers have to come up with how the animations should look, which can be time-consuming and require significant creativity. AI, in this context, becomes helpful because it can automatically generate CSS animations or animations using libraries like Framer Motion, saving both time and effort.

Example: Automatically Generated Button Animation

Suppose we need to add a subtle scaling animation to a button but don't have a ready-made animation design. Instead of creating it from scratch, AI can generate the code that meets our needs.

Code generated by AI:

import { motion } from "framer-motion";

const AnimatedButton = () => (
  <motion.button
    whileHover={{ scale: 1.1 }}
    whileTap={{ scale: 0.9 }}
    className="bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded-lg"
  >
    Press me
  </motion.button>
);

In this way, AI accelerates the animation creation process, providing developers with a simple and quick option to achieve the desired effect without the need to manually design animations from scratch.

Summary

AI significantly accelerates the creation of UI components. We can generate ready-made components from images, optimize styles, transform code between technologies, and create animations in just a few seconds. Tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Claude and Lovable are a huge help for frontend developers, enabling faster and more efficient work.

In the next part of the series, we will take a look at:

If you want to learn more about how AI is impacting the entire automation of frontend processes and changing the role of developers, check out our blog article: AI in Frontend Automation – How It's Changing the Developer's Job?

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AI in Real Estate: How Does It Support the Housing Market?

Miłosz Mach

18 Mar 2025
AI in Real Estate: How Does It Support the Housing Market?

The digital transformation is reshaping numerous sectors of the economy, and real estate is no exception. By 2025, AI will no longer be a mere gadget but a powerful tool that facilitates customer interactions, streamlines decision-making processes, and optimizes sales operations. Simultaneously, blockchain technology ensures security, transparency, and scalability in transactions. With this article, we launch a series of publications exploring AI in business, focusing today on the application of artificial intelligence within the real estate industry.

AI vs. Tradition: Key Implementations of AI in Real Estate

Designing, selling, and managing properties—traditional methods are increasingly giving way to data-driven decision-making.

Breakthroughs in Customer Service

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are revolutionizing how companies interact with their customers. These tools handle hundreds of inquiries simultaneously, personalize offers, and guide clients through the purchasing process. Implementing AI agents can lead to higher-quality leads for developers and automate responses to most standard customer queries. However, technical challenges in deploying such systems include:

  • Integration with existing real estate databases: Chatbots must have access to up-to-date listings, prices, and availability.
  • Personalization of communication: Systems must adapt their interactions to individual customer needs.
  • Management of industry-specific knowledge: Chatbots require specialized expertise about local real estate markets.

Advanced Data Analysis

Cognitive AI systems utilize deep learning to analyze complex relationships within the real estate market, such as macroeconomic trends, local zoning plans, and user behavior on social media platforms. Deploying such solutions necessitates:

  • Collecting high-quality historical data.
  • Building infrastructure for real-time data processing.
  • Developing appropriate machine learning models.
  • Continuously monitoring and updating models based on new data.

Intelligent Design

Generative artificial intelligence is revolutionizing architectural design. These advanced algorithms can produce dozens of building design variants that account for site constraints, legal requirements, energy efficiency considerations, and aesthetic preferences.

Optimizing Building Energy Efficiency

Smart building management systems (BMS) leverage AI to optimize energy consumption while maintaining resident comfort. Reinforcement learning algorithms analyze data from temperature, humidity, and air quality sensors to adjust heating, cooling, and ventilation parameters effectively.

Integration of AI with Blockchain in Real Estate

The convergence of AI with blockchain technology opens up new possibilities for the real estate sector. Blockchain is a distributed database where information is stored in immutable "blocks." It ensures transaction security and data transparency while AI analyzes these data points to derive actionable insights. In practice, this means that ownership histories, all transactions, and property modifications are recorded in an unalterable format, with AI aiding in interpreting these records and informing decision-making processes.

AI has the potential to bring significant value to the real estate sector—estimated between $110 billion and $180 billion by experts at McKinsey & Company.

Key development directions over the coming years include:

  • Autonomous negotiation systems: AI agents equipped with game theory strategies capable of conducting complex negotiations.
  • AI in urban planning: Algorithms designed to plan city development and optimize spatial allocation.
  • Property tokenization: Leveraging blockchain technology to divide properties into digital tokens that enable fractional investment opportunities.

Conclusion

For companies today, the question is no longer "if" but "how" to implement AI to maximize benefits and enhance competitiveness. A strategic approach begins with identifying specific business challenges followed by selecting appropriate technologies.

What values could AI potentially bring to your organization?
  • Reduction of operational costs through automation
  • Enhanced customer experience and shorter transaction times
  • Increased accuracy in forecasts and valuations, minimizing business risks
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Want to implement AI in your real estate business?

Nextrope specializes in implementing AI and blockchain solutions tailored to specific business needs. Our expertise allows us to:

  • Create intelligent chatbots that serve customers 24/7
  • Implement analytical systems for property valuation
  • Build secure blockchain solutions for real estate transactions
Schedule a free consultation

Or check out other articles from the "AI in Business" series